Apparatus for exhausting the interior of rubber articles.



6,1. RANDALL.

APPARATUS FOR EXHAUSTING THE INTERIOR 0F RUBBER ARTICLES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 4. 1916.

1 ,273, 1 1 2. Patented July 16, 1918.

WIT/I588 f INVENTOR H18 ATTORNEY an STA CHESTER J. RANDALL, OE NAUGATUCK, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOODYEAIWS METALLIC RUBBER- SHOE COMPANY, A. CORPORATION OF CONNECTICUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Application filed February 4, 1916. Serial No. 76,104.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, Onns'rnn J. RANDALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Naugatuck, county of New Haven, and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in an Apparatus for Exhausting the Interior of Rubber Articles, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to apparatus used in controlling the interior and external pressure exerted upon articles -of rubber, rubber-like, or similar materials, during or prior to the process of vulcanization.

Ordinarily, in vulcanizing under the differential of pressure process, the articles, such as for instance, boots and shoes, are built upon hollow perforated forms or lasts. The lasted articles are mounted upon a car, the frame of which is formed of tubing, there being branch pipes of this tubing connected with the interior of the lasts. The loaded car is run into a vulcanizer wherein the outside of the articles is subjected to heat and controllable high pressure. The car tubing is connected usually to an exhaust pump outside of the vulcanizer by means of which the inside of the articles is subjected to a lesser pressure than the outside, this differential of pressure serving to exhaust alir, gases, fluids and the like, from the arti- 0 es.

The-present invention provides each car with an independent exhaust device which preferably is automatically brought into action when a predetermined degree of pressure or temperature is attained within the vulcanizer.

The invention can be readily understood from the following description t'aken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a sectional view with parts in elevation, showing an apparatus suitable for carrying out one embodiment-of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a detail sectional view showing an automatic check valve.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view showing a modified form. of the valve shown in Fi 2.

ReEerring now to the drawing in which like characters designate similar parts, a car is shown comprising a frame 15 formed hollow and having perforations that expose the interior of the article to the interior of the last. The car is mounted upon wheels 19 which facilitate the car being run upon a track 20 into a vulcanizer 21, which preferably is pressure tight. 'A heat medium under pressure is admitted to the vulcanizer through a valve controlled pipe 22.

In carrying out the present embodiment of the invention, the car is equipped with a low pressure or vacuum tank 23 which is preferably permanently secured to the car by brackets 23 and is connected with the interior of the car frame by a pipe 24. Z'lhrough a valve controlled pipe 25 the tanimay be exhausted by suitable apparatus,- preferably prior to loadingof the car with the lasted articles to be vulcanized. Communication between the interior of the lasts and the tank 7 is controlled by an automatic check valve 26 having a lunger 27 exposed to the medium in the vu canizer and normally held by a spring. 28 to seal the passage in the pipe 24. The plunger is raised a ainst the ressure of the spring when a pre etermineti degree of pressure of the medium in the vulcanizer is reached and unseals the pipe 24 permitting the casing of the valve 26 may be closed as shown at 31 in Fig. 3 and a pipe 32 arranged "to conduct pressure from a source of pressure outside the vulcanizer through the closure 31 to open the valve whenever desired. I do not limit the scope of the invention to the utilization of vacuum or low pressure durin the vulcanizing process as it is evident t e vacuum tank may be brought into action prior to the vulcaniz'ing process either 'while the car is in or out of the vulcanizer.

I do not limit the scope of the invention to timing the opening of the check valve 26 by a rise in pressure, $1I1Ce-tlle valve may be equipped ith temperature controlling means operating to open the valve at a predetermined degree of temperature.

. comprising a portable frame, a perforated hollow last communicated with the interior of said frame, a low pressure or vacuum tank assembled as a unit with said frame, and a valve controlled pipe connecting the interior of said frame with the interior of I said tank.

2. An apparatus of the class described comprising a vulcanizer, means for supplying pressure in the vulcanizer, a portable frame in the vulcanizer, a perforated hollow last on said frame in communication with the interior of said frame, a low pressure or vacuum tank assembled as a unit with said frame, a pipe connecting the interior of said frame with said tank, a valve in said pipe, and means for operating the valve.

3. apparatus of the class described comprising a vulcanizer, means for supplymg pressure in the vulcanizer, a hollow 5 frame 1n the vulcanizer, a perforated hollow last on said frame in communication with the interior of said frame, a low pressure or vacuum tank, a pipe connecting the interior of said frame with said tank, and means controlling said pipe to automatically establish communication between the interior of said frame and said tank at a predetermined stage in the vulcanizing process.

4. apparatus of the class described 5 comprlsmg a vulcanizer, means for supplymg pressure in the vulcanizer, a hollow frame in the vulcanizer, a perforated hollow last on said frame in communication with the interior of said frame, a low pressure or vacuum tank assembled as a unit with said frame, a pipe connecting the interior of said frame with said tank, and a check valve in said pipe adapted to automatically open when the pressure in said vulcanizer reaches a predetermined degree.

Signed at Naugatuck, -Conn., this 1st day of February, 1916.

CHESTER J. RANDALL. 

